1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an image display apparatus capable of switching between directional image display and non-directional image display.
2. Related Art
There is an image display apparatus that displays different images (videos) for different viewing directions (hereinafter referred to as “directional image display”). One example of a directional image display apparatus is a three-dimensional image display apparatus that stereoscopically displays an image by providing different image light beams to the eyes of a single viewer. Another example is a directional image display apparatus that provides different images to two viewers. In these directional image display apparatuses, half of all pixels of a display unit display a first image and the other half display a second image. An optical member for limiting a direction in which image light is emitted (e.g., a parallax barrier or lenticular lens) is disposed in front of the display unit (adjacent to a viewer). The image display apparatus displays only a first image in a first viewing direction and displays only a second image in a second viewing direction (see, for example, JP-A-2006-106608).
A directional image display apparatus capable of switching between a directional display mode and a display mode that displays the same image in both directions (hereinafter referred to as “non-directional display”), i.e., a non-directional display mode, would be convenient. However, an image display apparatus capable of switching between a directional display mode and a non-directional display mode is not available.